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Whether you know it or not, we're in the middle of a fairly sizable retro revival of our own—and it's happening across several genres, including rock and country. Maybe the "Real Country Vs. Nashville Bullshit Country" phenomenon gets more ink these days, but let us not forget a rising force in rock named JD McPherson.

Paul McCartney has announced deluxe reissues of his third and fourth solo albums, 1982's Tug of War and 1983's Pipes of Peace. The reissues are set for an October 2 release via MPL/Concord Music Group, and can be pre-ordered here.

Guitarist Johnny Meeks, a former member of Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, died Thursday, July 30, in Arkansas. He was 78. Meeks, a longtime member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Blue Caps in 2012.

Has any piece of musical equipment proliferated more, or more rapidly, than the humble electric guitar effect unit? Though there is no official tally, suffice it to say that thousands of stomp boxes, effect devices and processors have been created for the electric guitar over the past 60 years (and that’s not including rackmount effects). Conceivably, more than half of those devices are distortion, fuzz and overdrive effects.

In this video, which is part of an ongoing "behind the scenes" series, Slayer's Kerry King and Tom Araya talk guitars, basses, amps and the recording process behind the new album, which will be released September 11 via Nuclear Blast Records.